{
  "id": 9153477,
  "title": "CDU-Krise: Frei sichert Merz Rückhalt der Unionsfraktion zu",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/cdu-krise-frei-sichert-merz-ruckhalt-der-unionsfraktion-zu",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-22T15:02:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Handelsblatt",
    "slug": "handelsblatt",
    "url": "https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/deutschland/cdu-krise-frei-sichert-merz-rueckhalt-der-unionsfraktion-zu/100256382.html"
  },
  "original_language": "de",
  "account": "Despite the CDU's painful series of electoral losses in three state parliaments, Fraktionschef Thorsten Frei has assured Chancellor Merz of the support of the Bundestag faction. \"The Chancellor has our support,\" Frei said before a faction meeting in Berlin. In his speech to the parliamentarians, he urged focusing on the substantive issues. The reforms agreed upon in July needed to be implemented as quickly as possible. The Union must contribute to stabilizing the coalition. Merz had faced significant pressure within his own party after the electoral fiasco in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks earlier. Last Sunday, the CDU also lost a seat in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in the state parliament and was pushed down to third place in Berlin by the Left. The eight CDU State Prime Ministers had already given their backing to Merz beforehand. Merz immediately made it clear after the polls closed on Sunday that he would remain the CDU leader \"and above all\" the Chancellor, and continue his reform course. \"Full backing\" for the Chancellor was already confirmed by the new faction manager Catarina dos Santos-Wintz in the morning. CSU Land Groups chief Alexander Hoffmann was not as explicit. He merely stated that the CSU would not lead the debate on the personal future of the Chancellor. He insisted on focusing on the content. \"We came here to make this country better, and we will continue to do so.\" Frei expressed confidence that the July reform package agreed upon with the SPD would be implemented swiftly. Only \"detail questions\" remained to be clarified regarding pensions, he said. Decisions should be made \"in one sweep\" and not in separate packages. In the SPD, resistance mainly exists against the abolition of the no-contribution pension after 45 years of contributions. Wüst holds the personal debate for not leading to anything. At a press conference on Sunday evening and Monday, Merz said that no personnel question had been raised \"by anyone, let alone a personnel debate.\" Nordrhein-Westfalen Ministerpräsident Hendrik Wüst, who had been considered a potential successor to Merz in the Chancellor's office, also rejected further personnel debates. That would not be productive, he said at the \"Ständehaus-Treff\" of the \"Rheinischen Post.\" Thuringia's Minister President and CDU Land Leader Mario Voigt called the electoral fiasco a historical turning point. There could be no further on, a \"general inventory of Berlin's government policy\" was necessary, he said at a sideline briefing of the CSU Landtag faction in the monastery of Banz. That the CDU could fly away from a Landtag election like in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, \"that is actually unthinkable.\" \"Normal people\" had to be able to live their normal life again. Rent, heating, rent, housing and shopping were too expensive. Only one in three still considers the CDU to be a people's party, according to a YouGov poll after the state elections. 46 percent say the Christian Democrats are no longer that. Around 21 percent of the 1,341 respondents answered \"don't know\" or did not give an answer. On Election Day, when the CDU suffered historic losses, AfD chief Alice Weidel had already stated that her party was becoming more and more anchored in society and the CDU as a people's party was being displaced.",
  "summary": "Erst in den Parteigremien, jetzt in der Bundestagsfraktion: Nach den desaströsen Wahlniederlagen der CDU versucht der Kanzler, Vertrauen zurückzugewinnen.",
  "key_points": [
    "Fraktionschef Thorsten Frei assures Chancellor Merz of CDU faction support",
    "Chancellor Merz vows to remain CDU leader and continue reforms",
    "CDU's electoral losses prompt calls for swift implementation of July reforms"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}